LAS CRUCES - A sudden change in position for the Desert Hills Elementary Principal Jamie Vance to one in Las Cruces Public Schools’ central office had faculty and parents angered they were not informed and worried about the future of the high-performing school.

Staff and concerned parents gathered for a meeting Friday afternoon in the school’s library where Miguel Serrano, chief human resources officer for LCPS, formally told the faculty that Vance and her skills were needed somewhere else in the district.

“It’s tough sometimes moving people, but we do sometimes get moved in the best interest of the district,” Serrano said.

A news release sent out Friday evening said Vance has been reassigned as principal on special assignment.

One of her main roles will be to manage the K-3 Plus Program — a jump-start program designed to help kinder through third-grade students in low-income areas get a head start on reading and math for the next school year.

“Since the position previously tasked with managing the K-3 Plus program is currently vacant, we knew we needed an experienced administrator and Jamie was an ideal candidate for the role,” said LCPS Superintendent Greg Ewing, in the release.

Her new position takes effect Monday.

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Veronica Lindley, a parent of a student at Desert Hill Elementary voicing her concern and asking questions about the reassignment of the schools Principal Jamie Vance, at a staff meeting Friday Feb 8, 2018. After the explanation was made by Miguel Serrano, the districts Chief Human Resources Officer and the new intrim principal Sabina Aguilar was announced.(Photo: Josh Bachman/Sun-News)

But even with the tight-lipped response as to why Vance was being moved, parents and faculty were more concerned with why now?

“It’s Thursday before a big school event,” said parent Veronica Lindley, referring to the jog-a-thon the school will host this weekend. “You take the principal and the kids expect to see her out there. She’s never missed an event at this school. Why would you do that to our children? I understand the district is important. Are our children not important?”

Lindley, who has one child at Desert Hills with a second who aged out, added “(Vance) matters to these kids; she matters to the parents. You can’t just take her like that.”

Parents who attended the meeting were also vocal about their concern for the stability of the school and for their children’s education as testing is about to start when the principal, whom they revered as the “bedrock of the school,” was suddenly moved.

Desert Hills is one of two district elementary schools — White Sands being the other — that have earned "A" grades from the New Mexico Public Education Department in each of the past two years.

Parents asked Serrano why the district did not allow Vance to finish out the school year, to which he had no reply. However, in an interview with the Sun-News after the meeting, Serrano said that there would be no good time to move Vance. Particularly with the role in the K-3 Plus Program — where planning for the summer has already begun — it would be better for Vance to get started immediately.

The role Vance would be taking was vacated in December, but rather than open the position for applicants, Serrano said the district felt they already had an employee that could fill the role.

But parents disagreed.

“Right now the environment of the school is going to change, it’s a distraction. It is not the right time,” Lindley said.

Katherine Trivizo, who has one child attending Desert Hills, said Vance was the type of principal every school strives to have.

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Desert Hills Faculty and Staff listen as Miguel Serrano, Chief Human Resources Officer for the Las Cruces Public Schools, explains why the schools principal was reassigned to a position in central office with out to much notice to the parents, faculty and staff.(Photo: Josh Bachman/Sun-News)

Trivizo said that Vance was welcoming and always willing to listen to student and parent feedback.

“(Vance) was part of the reason why I fought to get my daughter in this school. When we moved out of the district, I asked Ms. Vance if we could stay,” Trivizo said. “I mean I want (my daughter) here, I don’t want her anywhere else."

Teachers said they received an email of the news around 6 p.m. Thursday from Vance, informing the faculty that she will no longer be the principal of Desert Hills.

Moving forward

Serrano briefly laid out the process on how the school would select a new principal for the elementary school. He said the school will host a community meeting to get feedback on characteristics the staff and parents want in a new principal.

He added that a committee would be formed to determine the best three candidates for the role. The release said the search for the position will begin immediately.

Serrano was adamant that the district wants staff and parent input in the process, as well as National Education Association representatives.

Interim principal

In the meantime, LCPS administrator Sabina Aguilar has been named the interim principal for Desert Hills.

The release said Aguilar was "an experienced administrator who has held numerous supervisory roles at schools across the district,"

In October, Aguilar was inducted into the National Education Association-New Mexico Hall of Fame, an honor given based on their leadership and contributions to public education, students and the community.

Aguilar served in various teaching and administrative roles for the past 30 years and also served NEA-NM by working as a trainer for the Essential Leaders Cadre, Southwest Region Director, Chair of the Constitution and By-Laws and Technology Chair.

Serrano said Aguilar is an exceptional educator and he hopes faculty and staff will give her a chance.

"I'm coming here to support the staff ... so we can make this transition as smooth as possible," Aguilar said. "I'm here for (the staff) and the students. Parents I'm here for you.

Other principals being moved

Vance was not the only LCPS principal to be relocated this week.

Toni Hull, principal of Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy, has been reassigned as principal of Lynn Middle School and will also remain principal of MVLA. Rey Gomez, principal at Lynn Middle School, has been reassigned as associate principal at Las Cruces High School. And Pat Christensen, assistant principal at Highland Elementary School, has been reassigned as assistant principal at Loma Heights Elementary School and will oversee the behavioral intervention classrooms.